Property developer praises business-friendly SWDC
Released: Tuesday 14th March, 2023
Property developer praises business-friendly South Waikato District Council
Retirement village developer Tim Bartells says his relationship with South Waikato District Council for his $200 million 254 villa Springwater Country Estate retirement village in Putāruru provides a blueprint for processing resource consents.
The 16-hectare Springwater Country Estate site on Kennedy Drive was today blessed by South Waikato mana whenua Raukawa and earthworks are due to begin next week.
“From the start of the project, we tapped into South Waikato District Council’s business-friendly offering,” says Bartells.
“We developed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Council that provides for a one-stop planning contact – that’s the key. Being able to reach out any time to a dedicated planning resource who has all the history, understands the consent and has been involved with the project from the start, has been extremely beneficial.
“I’ve worked through consent processes with several councils, and South Waikato’s approach has established a blueprint for how it should be done.
“They have done something very cool which will have a lot of flow-on benefits for everyone in the community and they should get recognition for it. They deserve a lot of kudos and it’s something other councils should emulate to streamline property development.”
Springwater Country Estate will include 254 mixed size villas from 95m2 to 185m2 along with a 2,000m2 five-star resort quality recreation and community facility incorporating a heated swimming pool, spa, gym, picture theatre, restaurant and café, library, doctors’ rooms, snooker and pool tables, grand piano, Menz shed, bowling green, virtual golf and more.
“It's important to us that our residents have outstanding facilities to enjoy with other residents, friends and family,” says Bartells. “The site is in a very attractive rural setting bordering the Putāruru Golf Course, rugby and soccer clubs. Springwater Country Estate will also have an aged care facility which will provide rest home hospital and dementia care.”
The retirement village follows on from other multimillion dollar investments in the district in recent times including the South Waikato Trades Training Centre being built on the northern entry to Tokoroa and the Olam dairy facility being developed just south of Tokoroa.
Springwater Country Estate will be Bartells’ third large retirement village complementing Longridge Country Estate, a 420-unit village in Paeroa, and Amberley Country Estate, a 250-unit village in Christchurch. He says prospective Springwater Country Estate buyers can preview what they will be buying by visiting Longridge in Paeroa.